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Focus on road tolls misses the bigger picture: Crombie

By Bonnie Crombie

Tues., Jan. 31, 2017

It is easy to characterize the road tolls debate as the 905 versus the 416, but that is too simplistic and misses the point entirely. While residents of the 905 who travel into and out of Toronto would be affected by these tolls, so too would residents of Toronto who commute to the 905 to work each day.

Mississauga is a net importer of jobs. If you look at the Gardiner Expressway or Don Valley Parkway in the morning, you’ll see it’s busy in both directions. Like the 407, which the province ironically tolls, the tolls on the Gardiner and DVP would be a tax on anyone relying on them — the 416, 905, 519, 226, 613, and so on. Toronto Mayor Tory deserves credit for putting forward a solution to repair infrastructure that was downloaded to him 20 years ago, even if I don’t believe it was the right solution.

Toronto Mayor John Tory and Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie at the 9th annual Walrus Foundation Gala on Jan 18. "We recognized Mayor Tory was within his rights to propose (road) tolls," writes Crombie. "What frustrates Mississauga and the 905 municipalities more than the tolls is the fact that even if we wanted to, we couldn’t do the same thing." (Tom Sandler / For the Toronto Star)

When Mayor Tory first announced his plan to toll these highways, Mississauga did not slam it as a “tax on the 905,” but cautioned that the money collected be used explicitly to repair the highways and build transit. We recognized Mayor Tory was within his rights to propose these tolls. What frustrates Mississauga and the 905 municipalities more than the tolls is the fact that even if we wanted to, we couldn’t do the same thing.

To toll or not to toll is not even a question we can even ask in Mississauga, and that is the crux of the problem. In this sense, it is the 905 versus the 416. The municipalities of the 905 together represent over 3.5 million people, yet we’re not afforded the same powers as Toronto.

Premier Wynne did not “cave” to the 905 as it has been characterized, but listened to a significant population — a growing population I may add — of residents who have been forgotten for far too long. It is my hope Premier Wynne continues to listen as we talk not just about tolls, but about long-term, predictable funding for our cities.

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I think all municipalities in Ontario give Premier Wynne credit for doubling the provincial share of the gas tax to municipalities. Gas tax funding is stable, long-term, predictable and bankable — attributes that historically cannot be applied to most funding that comes from the two other levels of government. The gas tax is essential to help us invest in transit and other infrastructure, but it is not enough. Our responsibilities continue to outpace our ability to pay for them.

As cities, all we ask is the ability to control our own destinies. I don’t think that is too much to ask.

Unlike the Ontario government, by provincial law, cities have to balance our budgets. We have to maintain robust asset management plans. We have rigorous financial reporting systems. In many respects we are among the best run and most transparent level of government, yet we must still go cap in hand to the province and federal governments for funding and hope the political winds are blowing in the right direction.

We’re being asked to build 21st century cities using 19th century tools. The property tax alone will not build the cities our residents demand. It is a regressive tax that was never designed to build major capital infrastructure projects. It’s time to have an adult conversation about the role of cities and about giving us greater autonomy to control our own affairs — this includes raising revenues from other sources. Setting aside 1 per cent of the HST or the income tax for cities is worth considering.

The province cannot on one hand tell us to do more with less, and on the other tell us we cannot use new tools to meet our responsibilities. Cities are the engines of this country and we face enormous pressures as we own two-thirds of Canada’s infrastructure, but receive only 10 cents of every tax dollar collected. It doesn’t add up. It’s costing all of us in terms of underfunded transit, crumbling infrastructure, declining amenities, and overall, our ability to compete as a nation on the global stage.

It’s time cities are afforded the respect and autonomy we deserve to build the communities we’re all proud to call home.

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